Rena wasn’t wrong when she said her left side was her best angle. She’s swan-like, swirling in her white, feathered dress. Hands on her heart, she sings of a “broken heart never in love.”
Beautiful.
“Cassie!” My headset erupts, “Are you there?”
I run behind the little bedroom on wheels, where my crewmate, Leah, is already tying her blonde hair back. I clutch a stuffed bird in my free hand.
I bring the microphone to my mouth, “Sorry! Bedroom and bird on standby.”
During tech rehearsal, Rena informed me I’d be helping her with the “iconic bird scene.” I let her know I had never seen the musical Myth before.
She gave a short giggle, “Its simple I promise. I’m running away from my dad to find a prince that I’ve never actually seen before, I only heard about him in a myth. That’s the first song.”
“Who’s playing him?” I asked.
“Oh nobody,” she laughed. “My character never finds him.”
“What’s the point of the show then?”
“You’ll have to watch and see now, won’t you?” She winked. Her voice a melody. It’s very easy for me to tell when she is or is not singing, for once her chimes are gone, only the booming cheers of the audience follow.
We move the bed on that applause, eyes blinking to adjust to the stage lights. We lock in the wheels when set.
Rena says, “I wish I were in my room-”
I get a,“Go Bird!” in my headset. I lift the bird and plop it on the windowsill and make it dance.
Rena takes it, “I miss the simplicity of the castle, and no rush to marry. Now, I want no one but the true prince.”
She rests the bird back on the sill and slips a piece of paper there too.
Rena sneaks a playful wink at me, exiting stage left.
Maybe this isn’t the usual cough drop wrapper; is all I think before I open it,
“860-300-4761
For all your help
-Rena.”
Zureiqi is a Sophomore English Major at CCSU, double minoring in both Writing and Publishing and Marketing. They’ve been writing since they were a freshman in high-school and plans to be a published author one day.